


In Search of Something

by NotADragon



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, i'll tag this properly when i figure out what the hell this is
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-06-30 00:18:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15740238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotADragon/pseuds/NotADragon
Summary: "I'm basically a total stranger, but hear me out. Can I check in on you? Just to make sure nothing has happened to you? It's practically my job. Yeah?"She titled her head as she considered him, his earnest eyes and his boyish charm. There was no harm to it she figured. And it actually probably was a pretty good idea.“Okay.”Tessa's rented a cottage up north for the summer, and the park warden has taken an interest in her well being. A summertime AU in which Tessa and Scott were never skating partners.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here I go again apparently.
> 
> [insert obligatory rpf apologies here - even if no one probably believes I'm sorry at this point, I am]

It had seemed like a good idea at the time. It really had. But as Tessa took in her new temporary abode, she found herself reconsidering. She had been warned when she rented the cottage that no one had been out there in six months, and she was likely going to need to do some cleaning. Running a finger over the oak table, revealing the real colour below a heavy layer of dust, she was pretty sure they had undersold the cleaning needed.

She’d left Toronto at the crack of dawn (which was really freaking early in the summer) with the desire to not start her trip by sitting in traffic as she drove straight north, away from the bustling city and farther and farther from what she normally considered to be proper civilization. That meant Tessa had arrived at her accommodations well before noon, but she still wasn’t sure that was going to be enough time to get the place in shape before bedtime.

First thing she needed was a list. She always felt better once there was a list. So she wandered through the space, assessing the work that needed to be done, shoes still on since the floor already needed cleaning anyways. The air in the cottage was stifling, so step one would be to air it out. Step two would be the bathroom since she would need to use it sooner than later. Then the kitchen, as it would likely be time for a late lunch. Finally, she’d do general dusting and floors and whatnot. Not exactly a relaxing start to her time off, but a bit of hard work in order to set herself up for success over the next month was not the end of the world. With a Spotify playlist heavy on the oldies (that she had downloaded before leaving the land of consistent wifi hours behind), she got down to it.

As her day progressed and the dust receded, the charm of the cottage really began to shine through. Sitting on the Georgian Bay, just outside of Killarney Provincial Park, it certainly satisfied the main categories Tessa had been searching for when she booked: remote and immersed in nature. The whole point of the trip was to get away – away from Toronto and the buildings and the noise and the people. She’d run out of creative juice of late, or it seemed like it anyways. Ideas and inspiration had been near impossible to come by for months. Given that her whole job revolved around design, this was a serious problem. So she’d packed up and left (temporarily – after careful planning and preparation of course).

The cottage itself wasn’t exactly picturesque like its surroundings. It wasn’t a cute English stone cottage that belonged in a fairy tale, nor was it cozy like a log cabin nestled in the mountains several provinces to the west. Frankly, it was bit utilitarian in build, less than thirty years old probably with practical white siding and a roof in good repair. But the windows were large, and the ceiling was high, and the furniture had been purchased in this century, and overall the whole place just had a good feel to Tessa. The cottage was one big room, except for the bathroom and a single closet. Despite having proper electricity and plumbing, there was still a wood burning fireplace between the round kitchen table and chocolate brown leather couch. The kitchen cabinets were plain white – matching Tessa’s taste – with butcher block counter tops, meaning some renovations had been done since it was built. The bathroom was simple, yet functional, but there was to her mild disappointment a shower tub combination instead of separate pieces. And once she tested the bed, she deemed it to be perfectly satisfactory, not pillow topped or anything, but not lumpy either.

By the time Tessa started to yawn that night, the cottage was clean enough to be livable. She dragged in the rest of her luggage from her car that she hadn’t brought in earlier (it took two more trips) and opened the suitcase she knew contained her own set of sheets. Good sheets and quality pillows could make any strange place feel a little more like home.

Tucked into a freshly made bed, the silence overwhelmed the space. Unlike Toronto, there were no sirens or cars or streetcars or trains. No drunk people yelling or taxis honking or construction banging. No neighbours above or below or in the hallway. Just silence. Like, real silence. Blessed silence. There was still ever-present light, however, instead of streetlights, condos, and headlights, it was just the reluctantly setting sun. This, despite it being after 10pm. Tessa was wiped from the long day, and yet it still was not nearly dark inside the cottage even with all the sheer curtains pulled shut. Long before night truly descended on the northern cottage, the exhaustion and silence won out and lulled Tessa to sleep.

 

The sun rose early. Very early. Tessa cringed when it woke her and couldn’t even be bothered to check the time before burying her head back beneath her pillow.

 

The second time the sun assaulted her eyes, Tessa actually got up. Moving slowly, she puttered around the cottage, making tea, washing her face, getting dressed. It took two cups of tea for her to be ready to face the day and hopefully hunt down some coffee. The little village of Killarney was just down the highway, meaning she wouldn’t have to go too far in order to get supplies all summer – another reason she had chosen this particular cottage.

Heading out, she locked the door behind her, not that she really figured she needed to. The owner had assured her over email that there were no other cottages nearby, nor was it located on the way to anywhere. She should be able to spend her whole trip without seeing another soul excepting her visits to the village. Just the same, Tessa locked it out of an abundance of caution.

It was almost 10am by the time she got to the village, but it wasn’t like she had big plans for the day. Slowly, she drove up and down all the streets (there were only a dozen or so in total), seeing what there was to see – which wasn’t much. There was a single general store and a single restaurant (which she ran into to get a coffee), along with a post office. Inns and motels were the only businesses that weren’t singular.

Having completed the town tour all on her own, Tessa pulled up and parked in front of the general store. Milk, eggs, fruit, veggies – she had a mental list ready to sustain her for the next few days. She grabbed a basket and wandered the aisles, leisurely working her way down her list. The only other soul in the store was the older lady behind the counter. Every time Tessa turned at the end of an aisle the woman was watching, and Tessa gave her a friendly smile in response.

She was waiting expectantly when Tessa finally made her way up to the cash register.

“You’re a fresh face dear. Where are you from?” She was probably approaching 75 with stark white, permed hair and a gentle smile, instantly putting Tessa at ease.

“Toronto, these days anyways.”

The woman started to ring in Tessa’s item as she took them out of the basket. It was all rung up by hand, no scanner to be seen.

“Well, I don’t think you took a wrong turn on your way home from the Jays game and just happened to end up way up here.”

“No ma’am.” It wasn’t an expression Tessa would normally use, but the woman lacked a nametag and it just seemed to fit. “I came on purpose. I think that’s the only way anyone ends up here. Am I wrong?”

“No, you’re right. Usually it’s just fishermen though, which I’m guessing you’re not. Where are you staying?”

“I’m renting a cottage, just outside of the park.”

“And whose cottage would that be?”

“Bob Campbell?”

“Ah yes. He’s off on a big anniversary trip with his wife this summer. Quite exciting for them.”

Tessa got out her wallet while they chatted, presenting her card to pay once all the items were rung in.

“No tapping your card here yet,” the woman said, handing over the machine. “I’m just a bit behind the time.”

“That’s no problem.” Tessa entered her pin and returned the machine to her.

“How long are you staying?”

“A month probably.”

“Probably? You’re not sure?”

“I’m looking for something.”

Handing Tessa her receipt, the woman appraised her once again. “Well, I hope you find it. Come again dear.”

“Thanks. Have a good day.”

With all her groceries tucked into her two canvas bags, she headed out.

Back at the cottage, after the groceries were put away in the previously barren fridge, Tessa was finally faced with what she has escaped to the north to do – which was exactly nothing. Nothing at all. With the cleaning and errands done, she had precisely zero plans. It was exciting, but also more than a little terrifying.

She decided to take a walk out by the water, not having had time to explore the day before. The lake was just far enough away to not flood the cottage if the water rose particularly high in a given year. Tessa didn’t brave actually going into the water. She knew well enough that it would be freezing, a fact that was confirmed when she dipped a hand in. Very, very cold. Likely it would warm up by the time August rolled around, but not that much, and Tessa was going to be gone by then anyways. She walked for a while down the shore in one direction, turning around when the sun started to get a bit too hot.

After she made herself a light lunch, she found herself washing the dishes and silently debating whether she roll out her yoga mat or maybe dig out her sketch pad and sit back down by the river – until she heard something. A car. A car on the road that led only to her cottage. Her cottage in the middle of nowhere. That was not good.

When she told them of her summer plans, Tessa had had to convince her mother, and her sister, and her brothers too that she would be safe. They had worried about her being alone with a presumed lack of cell service, but she had laughed them off. Who was going to bother her at a remote cottage anyways? No one.

Or so she’d thought. Faced with the very real situation of someone approaching her very isolated cottage where she had no cell service and nowhere to go with only the one road in and out, Tessa wasn’t so sure about her safety. She knew how horror movies worked and this was seemingly too familiar. Drying her hands off, her eyes flicked to the butcher block of knives (a weapon – that she would probably end up stabbing herself with by accident, so maybe not a good weapon) before she peered out the window. A beat-up, black pickup was pulling up behind her little sedan.

Backing away and out of view, she considered her options. It didn’t take long as she didn’t have many. She obviously had to face this head on, see who this person was and what they wanted, and try not to get murdered. The only other choice was to hide under the bed and hope the person left. But no, she would deal with this unexpected visitor who probably wasn’t an axe murderer (she hoped).

The sound of a door closing and gravel crunching underfoot told her that this person wasn’t going to leave of their own accord. She stood behind the front door and waited, just far enough back that if they kicked it in then she wouldn’t get hit in the face. The footsteps got louder and closer and then stopped. Three quick knocks on the door followed. With a deep breath, she opened the door just wide enough to stand in the gap. Wary, she kept one hand on the knob in case she needed to jump back and slam it shut.

The sight that greeted her was an unexpected one in that the guy in front of her in no way looked like an obvious axe murderer. He looked about her age and was only slightly taller than her. His well-worn jeans fit with the pickup truck vibe, and his black t-shirt showed off toned, tanned arms. Despite the situation, she couldn’t help but think he was cute as he stared back, blinking at her with warm, brown eyes.

It took him a few seconds to find the use of his tongue, opening his mouth and closing it a few times before he got any words out.

“Who are you?”

“Who am –?” He showed up at her door, asking who _she_ was? No. That was not how this was going to go. One hand found its way off the doorframe and onto her hip. “Who are you?” she demanded back.

“I’m with Ontario Parks, and you can’t be here.” The man seemed to get over what initial shyness he had, pulling himself up tall and switching to a no-nonsense, authority voice. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

“The park starts 15 feet that way.” Tessa gestured towards the tree line. “This –” she pointed at ground between them, “is private property, so actually _I’m_ going to have to ask _you_ to leave.”

His eyes widen in surprise. “How do you know where the park starts?”

“Bob mentioned it.”

“You know Bob.”

“Well, yes.” And apparently he did too. That was a good sign. “He’s renting me his cottage after all.”

“You – you’re renting?” he stammered. The man’s shoulders sagged, whether in relief or embarrassment she couldn’t say. “You’re renting the cottage. Oh god. I’m so sorry. This is just a big mix up. I check in on Bob’s place for him when he isn’t around for insurance purposes and whatever. Bob never told me that he was renting it out to anyone and I didn’t recognize your car. I’m sorry. Really.”  
He seemed sincere in his apology, assuming he was telling the truth anyways. It was possible thought, Tessa thought, that he was just a very good actor as axe murderers presumably needed to be in order to lure their victims into a false sense of security.

“You thought I had broken in to live here? And so you decided you’d impersonate a park ranger to scare me into leaving?”

“I’m not impersonating anyone,” he insisted. “But it’s ‘park warden’, not park ranger. This is Killarney, not Jellystone Park.”

“So you don’t rescue picnic baskets from bears?”

“No,” he laughed. “Well, actually, I suppose I do spend a certain amount of my time lecturing tourists about correct food storage to avoid attracting black bears.”

Tessa smiled, she couldn’t help herself. He grinned back.

“If you ever need anything, really, just let me know,” he said. “It’s the least I can do. I’m Scott by the way.”

He held out his hand to her and Tessa shook it after just one extra second of worrying about if he really was a serial killer.

“Right, Scott the Supposed Park Ranger.” His lips twitched in response, trying not to smile. “I’m Tessa.”

“It’s nice to meet you Tessa.” He was still holding her hand she realized, but she had no real inclination to break the contact. Something about her hand just felt like it fit perfectly in his. That was a ridiculous idea though, obviously. Reality was that he was a stranger who probably wasn’t actually with Ontario Parks and would probably murder her and no one would ever find the body. With that thought, she pulled her hand back from his warm hold. For a brief second, he almost looked disappointed. But then the moment was gone, and he sheepishly ran his newly-empty hand through his hair. “Again, I’m so sorry for the mix-up. I should go and let you get back to your vacation.”

Tessa stopped herself before her automatic manners could kick in to invite him in for tea. She didn’t know him. She just nodded and let him start backing away. He was a stranger even if somehow he didn’t quite feel like one after just a couple of minutes.

“Goodbye Scott.”

He waved, still walking backwards towards his truck. “Bye Tessa.”

She closed the door and headed back to the kitchen window. He got in his truck, no fuss at all, and drove off back down the gravel road as Tessa watched him go.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! This first chapter took me six weeks to sort out. So maybe don't expect a regular update schedule (not that I ever have one).
> 
> Anyways, welcome to my new little AU sans skating. I have a lot of the things I want for this fic loosely mapped out in my head, but the process of turning thoughts into a .docx is a very long one for me. It should be fluffy, but I think everything I write is pretty fluffy whether it actually is or not. Mostly, I just wanted to get to write them somewhere other than rinks and their apartments so welcome to Northern Ontario. That's probably enough rambling. Until the next update, take care folks! <3


	2. Chapter 2

As it turns out, Tessa was wrong. She hated being wrong. It was even worse than that though, as she was wrong twice. First, she had drastically underestimated her reliance on coffee. The cottage didn’t have a coffee maker (and she wasn’t about to start drinking instant coffee), but she had thought – incorrectly – that she would be okay. She wasn’t. It took just three days of tea after her first trip into the village of Killarney for her willpower to entirely dissolve. She hadn’t planned on going into town more than once a week for provisions, but four more days seemed entirely out of reach as she fixated on the absence of her usual morning fix.

The second error she made was even worse than the first causing Tessa to re-examine how she defined herself. She’d never been a people person. She got overwhelmed by rooms of strangers and rarely admitted new people into her inner circle. No, she wasn’t a people person at all. Knowing that, she had assumed that she would be fine without seeing another soul for days. Just like a night in at home would recharge her, surely an isolated cottage would give her the break she needed. But no, she was wrong again. It was fine for the first day (or partial day, after town and her unexpected visitor). The next morning was okay too, but by that afternoon the silence started to get to her. When she put on Hall and Oates while making dinner, her voice cracked from the disuse when she tried to sing along. After three days, she was going stir crazy. The silence was too loud. It crowded out her ability to focus on anything except the lack of communication – and caffeine.

She cracked.

Day four rolled around, just as sunny as the day before, and Tessa decided to venture back into the village. With her canvas grocery bags in her passenger seat, she was set to grab coffee, call her mother, and pick up a few things. The parking spot in front of the restaurant was, unsurprisingly, empty. She pulled into the spot and hopped out of her car, locking it as she walked into the building.

There were a dozen or so tables in the restaurant, but only two were occupied. As the door closed behind Tessa, the woman who had served her on the weekend walked in from the kitchen, plates in hand.

“One second,” she called out before switching her attention to delivering breakfast to the two elderly fellows seated by the front window. Tessa waited patiently, just as she would have even if she actually had anything pressing to do (which she most certainly didn’t).

“You’re back,” Sheila, according to her nametag, declared as she walked up to Tessa. “Did you want a table today?”

Tessa shook her head. “Could I just get a coffee with milk to go?”

“Nothing else?”

Biting her lip, Tessa considered for a moment. “Actually, do you have any pastries?”

“I’ve got carrot muffins. They’re fresh out of the oven.”

“I’ll take one of those. Thanks.”

With a nod, Sheila retreated back towards the kitchen.

Tessa clasped her hands together and rocked back on her heels, her bright white sneakers contrasting the dull tiles as she took in the space. Wood framed pictures of lakes hung on walls with aging paint, but the dated décor didn’t mean the place was anything but clean. The two moms at one table, babies in tow, were too preoccupied to give any attention to the out-of-towner, but the two seniors were not so discretely watching her. She smiled in their direction, ever friendly, but turned back towards the kitchen to wait. She would have been content to stare at the wall indefinitely if the door behind her hadn’t opened.

The soft gasp prompted her to glance over her shoulder. Supposed Park Ranger Scott stood in front of her, door creaking closed behind him.

“Hi.” She found herself speaking before she could think better of it.

“Tessa. Hi.” He smiled at her, slightly hesitant but still full of warmth.

“Ahh.” Sheila had somehow emerged from the kitchen without Tessa noticing, hands full with her order. “How is it Scotty that you already know the new woman in town before anyone else does?”

Scott flushed bright red, opening his mouth to find that no words came out. Tessa decided quickly to take pity on him, of a sort.

“He showed up to my cottage impersonating a park ranger and tried to evict me.”

“Did he now?” Sheila passed Tessa the coffee cup and muffin so that she could cross her arms while she stared Scott down. “That’s not how we treat visitors around here. I’m sorry about him, he’s usually better than that.”

Hands suddenly full, Tessa consider how best to get at her wallet while Scott protested.

“Warden. I really am a park warden. And that’s not exactly how things went down.”

“It’s not?” Tessa raised one eyebrow in challenge. She couldn’t give him her attention for long though as she tried to balance the muffin on top of the coffee while fishing around one handed in her purse.

Scott sighed, rightfully sensing a losing battle. “Sheila, can you put her order on my tab? And I’ll take my usual. Thanks.”

Sheila and Tessa responded at the same time.

“Sure thing.”

“Wait, what?”

Snapping her head around to him, Tessa almost dropped the precarious muffin. It did, in fact, tumble right off of the coffee, headed for the floor until a quick hand appeared and grabbed it.

“Consider it an apology,” Scott said, holding the muffin out to her.

She let her wallet drop back into her bag and took back the muffin.

“Thanks,” Tessa raised the muffin in acknowledgement, “But I really can’t let you buy my breakfast.”

“Oh honey, let him,” Sheila jumped back into the conversation from over by the cash register. “I’ve already rung it up with his, so your money won’t do you any good today.”

Sensing that the battle was lost, Tessa thanked them both.

“Anything else?” Sheila asked.

“I thought I saw a park with some picnic tables the other day. Could you point me in the right direction?”

“Oh yeah, that’s just a little ways away around the corner. Scott will show you.”

Tessa immediately shook her head. “No, no. That’s okay, I just need to know which direc– ”

“He’s gotta wait for his food anyways,” Sheila insisted, cutting her off. “Consider it part of his apology. He owes you.”

She was about to protest further, but she glanced over at Scott. He was watching her carefully. “It’s no problem, really,” he said softly.

“Okay.”

He opened the door, setting off the bell on top, and held it for her.

“This way.” He turned left out of the restaurant and she followed, falling into step beside him. The sun was bright already, but she didn’t have a spare hand to put her sunglasses back on.

“Your partner isn’t a coffee person?” he asked. Tessa glanced over at him in confusion, prompting him to expand. “Partner, spouse, significant other. Whatever you call them.”

“Is this your not-so-subtle way of asking if I’m single?”

“What?” he spluttered. “No that’s not – I’m not. Sorry.” He ran a hand through his hair, a sign of mild distress. “Bob’s place only has one bed, so I assumed you weren’t here with a friend.”

“I’m not here with anyone.”

They turned the corner, Tessa following Scott’s lead, and the park became visible just a block ahead. He could have easily left her at that point, but he didn’t stop.

“You don’t mean to tell me that you chose a cottage in the middle of nowhere with no cell reception or internet to stay by yourself, do you? Because that’s ridiculous.”

Tessa resisted the urge to roll her eyes, almost regretting having told him the truth. “I’ve had this conversation already with my mother.”

He reached out and lightly grasped her arm, encouraging her to turn towards him. “Okay, so you don’t know me. I know that. I’m basically a total stranger, but hear me out. As part of my job, I go around and check on all the campsites and the registries at the trail heads to make sure everyone is okay and no one is lost and whatnot. Can I also add you to that list and check on you? Just to make sure nothing has happened to you. It’s practically my job with the cottage almost being in the park and all. Thirty second check-in every couple days and then I leave you alone, yeah?”

Throughout his little safety pitch, Scott didn’t let go of Tessa. His loose grip let his hand slip down her arm until he reached her wrist, thumb brushing over the back of her hand. She titled her head as she considered him, his earnest eyes and his boyish charm. There was no harm to it she figured. And it actually probably was a pretty good idea.

“Okay.”

“Great,” he said, a smile lighting up his face instantly. “I should let you eat your breakfast in peace, but I’ll drop by tomorrow probably. See you later, Tessa.”

He turned back in the direction they came from and Tessa carried on. The park was empty at that hour of the morning. There was an old wooden playground with a seesaw and tire swing that were sure to see more action in the afternoon. She settled herself on top of the nearest picnic table and pulled out her phone.

Taking a long sip her gloriously hot coffee, Tessa waited for her mom to pick up.

“Hey, it’s me. Yeah, I’m fine. Really, I am. I’m half a cup of coffee away from being fully human, but I haven’t got lost in the woods or anything. Stop worrying and tell me what I’ve missed. How is everyone?”

She let the tales of home wash over her as she picked at her muffin. It hadn’t even been a week, but she was already missing out. She tried not to let the doubt creep in that this trip would be worthless and she’d miss out on a month with her family for nothing. It had only been a few days. She had time.

Tessa called her sister next. Her mom and sister both seemed to take a lot of comfort in hearing that the park services were going to check in on her. She conveniently left out that it was one specific park warden doing the checking, avoiding any detailed conversations about why he might be taking an interest in her. And she also avoided having to discuss why she was letting him take an interest. It was just practical anyways, both the checking and the avoidance of family speculation.

By the time she hung up, the muffin was long gone and the coffee was down to the dregs. She popped up off the tabletop and stretched causing her back to crack. Mentally she added a yoga session to her plans for the day. Not that she had many plans left. She threw the coffee cup into the bear-proof garbage bin and headed back to her car. Next stop groceries and then back to the cottage for a starkly empty afternoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little update, I know. But I'm hoping a little update is better than no update. Hopefully soon I will have more time for writing. xoxo


	3. Chapter 3

The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and Tessa Virtue was determined to have a good day. A productive day. She had started if off right, not hitting snooze even once before getting up and out of bed. She made herself a real breakfast – in so far as instant oatmeal with banana counted as a real breakfast. After a quick yoga session and a hot shower, she finished prepping and was soon all set. One shoe tied, she was reaching for the other when she heard something. A car.

With just a little hesitation, she wandered one-shoed over to the kitchen window. Her fear settled when she saw the beat up pickup signalling a known park warden instead of a stranger with unknown intentions. She paused at the thought that Scott wasn’t a stranger. Objectively, he was. She knew nothing about him other than his name and his job, and yet she was no longer concerned that he might be an axe murderer.

Watching him get out of the truck, Tessa swung back around the kitchen peninsula to the door.  She yanked it open, only to be confronted by his raised fist ready to knock.

“Oh – hi.”

“You can’t really sneak up on me out here,” she said by way of explanation.

“Right, makes sense. My truck isn’t the quietest.”

She shrugged. “At least you aren’t one of those guys who takes the muffler off their trucks.”

Scott cringed. “I may have when I turned 18 and my mother almost killed me for it that same day.”

“Your mom sounds like a good mom,” Tessa laughed.

“She’s the best.” He didn’t even hesitate.

It was always a good sign when a guy appreciated his mother. Trying to rein in her grin, she held back an _aww_ that he was sure to find patronizing and changed the subject. “On your way to work?”

“Yeah, just thought I’d make sure all is okay here. So,” he made a show of looking all around, “Is all okay?”

“Yup, I’m actually just headed out.”

He leaned in close to stage whisper loudly. “I think you might be forgetting something.”

Confused, Tessa waited only to have one finger pointed at her socked foot.

“You might want a second shoe before you go, well, anywhere,” he teased.

“Obviously.” But she giggled against her own will. Leaving the door open behind her, she went to go put on her other shoe. “You interrupted me, but I was getting to it.”

Scott leaned against the doorframe without moving inside the cottage. “Where are you off to? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“I’m going for a hike,” Tessa declared, proud that she was finally following through with some of her plans for this trip.

“Which trail?”

“Oh, I was just going to head out from here and go a ways into the park.” Focused on double knotting her hiking boots, she didn’t see the expression on his face change as she spoke.

“Tess!” She snapped her head up at his scandalized tone. “You can’t just wander into the woods by yourself. You could get lost or injured and no one would know where you are or be able to help you. Stick to the trail – that’s hiking safety 101.”

“Well now you know,” she said easily. “So when you check in on me in a couple days you’ll know it all went fine.”

Scott rubbed his temple in exasperation, which seemed pretty uncalled for in Tessa’s opinion. “Have you ever been hiking before Tessa?”

“No, but I did my research.” She was determined to defend herself against this unjust criticism of her plans, which he wouldn’t have even know about if he had just showed up five minutes later. “I bought great hiking boots,” she showed them off with a two lifted feet, “which the guy at MEC said would be more than good enough for the terrain up here. And I have a first aid kit in my bag, in addition to water and snacks.”

“New boots? Did you even break them in?”

It’s like he was trying to get her to regret taking him up on his check-in offer. Arms crossed, she stood to better stare him down.

“I’ve been wearing them around the cottage all week. But how is this your business anyways?”   
“It’s literally my job to go find lost and injured hikers.”

Oh. Right. While Tessa’s good sense told her this was a lost battle, her stubbornness wasn’t willing to cede so easily.

“Well I came up north to this cottage specifically to hike. So what? You’re just going to veto my entire vacation because you don’t trust me to look after myself? Even though you don’t even know me.”

“It’s dangerous,” he insisted. “No one should go hiking by themselves ever. And if you don’t sign in at a trail head, no one would even know if you didn’t come back.”

He was the expert. That should have been the end of it, but that just wasn’t Tessa. She wasn’t giving up her hike. Chin up, she didn’t say a word, waiting him out. It didn’t take long. He clearly didn’t have half the patience that she did, or maybe he was just less mulish. With a huff, his shoulders sagged in defeat.

“Fine. I’ll take you hiking.”

He’d do what?

“You’ll what now?” The words fell out in surprise. That wasn’t what Tessa had been expecting.

“I’ll take you on one of the trails,” he repeated.

“I thought you were going to work?”

“I am.” He gestured at her packed backpack on the floor, “Are you all set? We really need to get going if this is going to happen.”

She definitely should have questioned him more. She should have asked where they were going or why he was doing this for her. She should have left some sort of clue for the detectives in case he was an axe murderer. But she didn’t. Instead, for no reason that she cared to think too closely about, she gave him her faith. Grabbing her bag, Tessa followed him out.

“I check a different trail every few days,” Scott explained as they were driving back down the gravel road away from her cottage. Tessa let one hand trail out the window in the wind, but her body and focus were turned towards him. “I make sure no one’s camping where they aren’t supposed to be, that the trails are clear, that there’s no sign of bears in the immediate area. All that stuff.”

“Bears? There really are bears?”

He took his eyes off the road for just one second, just long enough to make sure she saw his horrified look. “Of course! Black bears. I thought you said you did research? You should know this. Really Tess. Come on.”

Tessa held out as long as she could, keeping a straight face while he fretted. But she cracked, as was inevitable, and burst out laughing.

“What?” He glanced over again, taking her in hunched over form.

“Of course there are bears. It’s Canada. I didn’t even need to Google that,” she admonished. “I’ve got bear spray in my bag.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Sorry.”

“I’m not half as foolish and unprepared as you think I am.” She was teasing, but he stopped laughing.

“I don’t think you’re foolish at all,” he said, soft and sincere.  

It was a moment. They were definitely having a moment. The kind of moment where the air gets still and the world gets quiet and maybe someone leans in and the other follows. Except he was driving, so no one was leaning, and the moment passed, and he turned on the radio.

The drive wasn’t long enough for Tessa to properly assess how she felt about the almost moment. Or about him, really. Those things took her days or weeks to figure out. She never jumped into anything unprepared. Soon, they pulled into a small parking lot a little ways into the park. Only two cars were already there, one of which had Manitoba plates.

“You’ll like this trail.” He turned off the truck and reached into the back of the cab to grab his bag. “It’s one of the prettiest ones.”

Tessa got out and walked around the front to meet him. “You just happened to be checking this trail today?”

“No,” he admitted. “I wasn’t supposed to be checking any trail at all today. This was scheduled for tomorrow. But it’s better to mess up my schedule a little than for you to take off by yourself.”

“I didn’t mean to mess up your work.” It was as close as she could bring herself to an apology.

“It’s fine. Ready?”

With a nod, they set off. They didn’t get far though. Scott stopped at the trail head to show her the map. His whole demeanor changed as he talked, his voice shifting as he gave her the same spiel he probably gave lots of park visitors. He kept it up as they walked, telling her about the different plants and the lake. And she listened, partly to what he said, but mostly just to him. To how knowledgeable he was, how good he must be at his job. To the corny jokes and bad puns he made whenever possible that she couldn’t help but laugh at.

Despite her plans to hike and take in the nature around her, Tessa found herself paying much more attention to her guide than to her surroundings. So much so that when he stopped, she didn’t immediately know why. He smiled at her, and just titled his head to the side, encouraging her to look. And what a sight it was.

The view of the lake was perfectly framed by symmetric trees on either side of a pair of red rocks. The blues of the water glistened in the midmorning sunlight. The surface was calm enough that it perfectly reflected the trees on the far side of the lake. It was simple and yet enchanting.

“This is kind of perfect,” Tessa sighed, stepping off the trail to sit herself on one of the rocks.

“It’s something,” Scott agreed, “but there’s more to see still.”

Tessa was already unzipping her bag, heedless of the fact that Scott had yet to move. “I’m good here for a while.”

“I thought you wanted to hike?”

Shaking her head, she pulled out her sketch book and held it up. “No, I wanted to go on a hike. I’m looking for inspiration and I just found some,” she said, looking out at the scene in front of her.

“Inspiration for what?”

His interest was charming, but it was distracting from the ideas already starting to fill her brain. “I’ll explain later.” She pulled out her pencils and settled more comfortably onto her rock.

“Tessa.” Scott’s admonishment pulled her back to herself. “Talk to me. Are you going to be long? Because I do need to check the rest of the trail and I thought you wanted to hike. I didn’t realize this was the plan.”

“You go on. Pick me up on your way back.”

One hand ran through his hair in a way that she was already becoming familiar with. Her brain also registered how good his hair looked a little messed up. “You expect me to just leave you here?”

“You were worried I was going to get lost or injured if I went by myself, right?” She waited for him to agree before continuing. “Well, I’m on a trail and you know exactly where I am. So if I don’t move from this rock, I can get neither injured nor lost.”

His eyes unfocused from hers as he considered her statement. It was flawless logic, of that she was certain. And sure enough, he didn’t seem to find a way to disagree.

“Promise you won’t move from this rock?”

“Promise.”

For good measure, she held out her pinkie finger to him. He reached out, linking his little finger with hers. He didn’t let go right away.

“I have never,” he said, “met anyone like you.”

“I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

“You definitely should.”

They were having a moment. Again. But this time, there was no road to distract Scott’s attention, leaving all his intensity focused squarely on her and their still-linked fingers. It was a lot. Too much really. Tessa felt her chest constricting and pulled her hand back suddenly.

“You should get going.” She firmly ignored the confusion that passed across his face, trying to keep her own schooled clear. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Right.”

She spun around on the rock and flipped open her sketch book to a fresh page, distracting herself from the sound of his footsteps walking away. With a deep breath, she tried to center herself again. It didn’t work.

Flustered. She was flustered. That was the word that her brain offered up unbidden, and she wished it hadn’t. That a cute guy in the middle of nowhere could get under her skin so easily didn’t work for Tessa. She had plans: a summer of cottage solitude and then going back to Toronto. Nowhere in those plans was there a guy, and certainly not one like Ranger Scott.

 

The amount of time it took Tessa to clear her head and focus was rather embarrassing. But she did it. The surroundings sucked her back in, the ideas came rushing back, and she got down to work. Rustling leaves served as a quiet soundtrack, easy to tune out. Time passed unbidden and unnoticed. Absorbed in her work, she didn’t hear the footsteps preceding the voice.

“Excuse me!”

Tessa jumped and dropped her sketch pad in surprise. She scrambled to grab it before it could slide off the rock into the lake.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” An older woman, half a step off the path, held her hands in the air, while her partner stood a couple steps back. Both were dressed in practical athletic gear with sturdy boots and quick drying shirts. The excessively large backpack the man was carrying signalled that they were used to more strenuous trails than this.

“It’s okay,” Tessa said, brushing her hair back out of her face. “I startle easily.”

“You’re on your own. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she assured them. “My friend just went on ahead a little ways, but he should be back soon. Thanks though.”

Satisfied, the woman returned to the path and the couple carried on down the trail. Their footsteps had barely faded before Tessa heard another set returning. She didn’t look up from her sketch book until a shadow fell across the page. Scott sat down beside her leaving a respectable distance between them, his shadow moving off the page again as he did.

“I feel like you aren’t nearly concerned enough with your surroundings. Shouldn’t you have at least checked who’s sneaking up on you?” He nudged her shoulder briefly before retreating back to his side of the rock.

“Was that supposed to be sneaking? I couldn’t tell over all the noise you were making. The deer across the lake heard you and took off.”

“Like you would be any quieter,” he scoffed.

“I absolutely could.” Knowing her drawing time was done, she started packing up her pencils. “I can land a jump without a sound.”

“Wait really?” He switched from teasing to curious instantly.

“Yup. Old ballet trick. It’s all in the knees.”

“Wow.”

“You’re easily impressed,” she laughed.

He shook his head. “I’m really not.”

Fighting a blush, she turned her attention flipping her sketch book shut. A hand on the page stopped her.

“Can I see?”

It wasn’t usual for Tessa to show off unfinished work. In fact, it was something that drove her sister crazy, the way she hoarded every idea until it was fully formed and ready to be presented to the world. However, she found herself handing over her book without pause. And that gave her serious pause.

Gently, Scott turned page after page. Leaning back, she watched him as his eyes danced over each page, each sketch. He reached the newest drawings, the ones inspired by the scene in front of them, and stopped.

“I thought they would be landscapes.” He brushed him thumb across the picture as if he could really feel the fabric.

“I’m a designer, not an artist.” Shifting closer, she peeked over his shoulder to take in her latest pieces. She thought she’d done pretty well. The skirt had just the slightest bit of movement, mirroring the mostly calm water. Though currently just shaded in pencil, the bracelet would reflect the colour pallet of the lake as well. But it was the dress that she was most fond of. The classic shape was trimmed in thick black lines, giving it the same frame that the trees gave the view. She hadn’t decided on a fabric yet. Probably something light and airy to give it movement. Maybe a bit of lace.

“I’d have to disagree.”

The potential for another moment was right there. She plowed past it. Taking the book back, Tessa busied herself with repacking her bag. “I work for a big name brand in Toronto. I’m just one of many designers on staff. Most of these will never become reality, but a few probably will.”

Scott brushed off his shorts as he stood up, stepping carefully off the rock. “You came out here to design then?”

Her knees cracked loudly as Tessa stood letting her know just how long she had been sitting. “I’m stiff. Clearly,” she deadpanned, earning a laugh in return. Her shoulders needed to be rolled out, arms and hands stretched too before she could move properly. “But really, that’s it. That’s why I’m here. I’ve just feel feeling stiff lately. Stuck? Stiff? Something. I don’t know. I needed a break. I had no inspiration left, not for design or choreography. Nothing for months. Until today.”

When she finally turned from the lake to Scott, his face was painted with undeserved awe. “That’s amazing Tess. The designs, but also that you could recognize that about yourself and then do something about it. It’s not something most people could do.”

She reached for a witty response, but came up empty handed. With words like that, he was making it so hard for her to keep herself aloof. And aloof was what she needed to be to counterbalance the rather prominent feelings that were taking root in her chest. “It’s nothing,” she murmured.

“It’s not,” he insisted.

There was no point in arguing. He clearly wasn’t having it. Instead, she hoisted her backpack up, settling the straps over her shoulders.

“Ready to head back?”

He took a step back towards the path, making space for her to step down. “Whenever you are. When we get back to the truck, I’ll drive you home and then I have to get back to – oh my god Tess.”

Tessa’s two-footed jump dismount from the rock had not gone according to plan. The pressure from hitting the ground reverberated up through her legs, knocking her off balance. She stumbled forward and was saved from landing face first in pine needles by Scott’s arms. That was not where she had intended to land.

Hands flat against his chest, she tried to steady herself. That failed the moment she titled her head up to find his lips just inches away. Oh. He brushed her hair back behind her ear, leaving nothing between them. She felt his breath hitch and knew they were milliseconds away from her point of no return.

She stepped back. Her hands dropped down and he took the hint to let go of her waist where he had caught her.

“Thanks.” It came out breathier than she wanted. “I’m a born klutz.”

He cleared his throat. “Right. Yeah, no problem.”

Tessa took the lead on the way back. Determined to not let them settle into awkward silence for several kilometers, she reached for something. Anything. “So how was the rest of the trail? Did I miss any bears?”

“Nope. No bears today.”

The silence settled in and she couldn’t stop it. They made it all the way back to her cottage without any more moments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is this fic? I'm really not sure, but it's probably going to be more of this. So I hope you liked this chapter cause we're out of the intro and into it now. Hopefully it should still be fluffy, but I have a later scene written in this fic and should warn of angst ahead. So this is your warning. I think we have quite a road to get there though. We'll see. I hope you stick around anyways. Y'all are lovely for hanging out this long. xoxo
> 
> I've been forgetting to link my tumblr but I can always be found over here: https://obviouslynotadragon.tumblr.com/


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